WASHINGTON, D.C. — The February 2018 not seasonally adjusted national construction unemployment rate was 7.8 percent, down 1 percent from February 2017 and the lowest national February rate on record, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by Associated Builders and Contractors. Estimated construction unemployment rates were down in 34 states on a year-over-year basis, unchanged in one state (Arizona) and up in 15 states. At the same time, the construction industry employed 273,000 more workers than in February 2017. “Construction activity continues to be positive in much of the country, resulting in healthy demand … Read more
Construction Input Prices Tick Higher in June, Crude Petroleum Prices Rebound
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Construction input prices rose .2 percent in June, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by Associated Builders and Contractors. This represents the sixth increase in construction input prices over the past seven months, but the overall rate of increase has been quite slow. On a year-over-year basis, construction input prices are up 2.6 percent. Nonresidential construction input prices also rose .2 percent in June and are up 2.3 percent on a year-ago basis. Much of the input price inflation in June was due to increased charges for crude petroleum, which registered a price … Read more
Construction Input Prices Up in April, Led by Sharp Increases in Energy Prices
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Construction input prices rose for a fifth consecutive month in April, increasing by 0.7 percent on a monthly basis and 4.3 percent on a year-over-year basis, according to analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by Associated Builders and Contractors. Nonresidential construction input prices behaved similarly, increasing by .7 percent on a monthly basis and 4.2 percent on a year-ago basis. Prices for final demand goods—the broadest measure supplied by producer price index data —increased by .5 percent in April on a seasonally adjusted basis. Final demand prices are up 2.5 percent on a year-over-year … Read more
Join the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction May 8-12
Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 350 of the 937 construction fatalities recorded in 2015 (BLS data). Those deaths were preventable. The National Fall Prevention Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries. What is a Safety Stand-Down? A Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about safety. Any workplace can hold a stand-down by taking a break to focus on fall hazards and reinforcing the importance of fall prevention. It’s an … Read more
Construction Unemployment Rates Improve in 25 States, ABC Says
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Construction unemployment rates were down in 25 states and unchanged in four in February on a year-over-year basis, according to analysis released by Associated Builders and Contractors. The national not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rate of 8.8 percent was up 0.1 percent from February 2016, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since these industry-specific rates are not seasonally adjusted, the best approach is to evaluate the national and state-level unemployment rates on a year-over-year basis. “Despite the slight downturn in the year-over-year NSA national construction unemployment rate, half the states had a reduction … Read more